The sun-splashed tasting room at Scarborough Wine Co. is popular with parents who like to toast their good fortune that their children are happy playing giant Jenga, chess and kicking a ball about.

Although Boydell’s is a relatively new boutique brand in the Hunter, the seven-hectare property run by Daniel and Jane Maroulis dates back to 1826. Discover which wines best suit your palate at the cellar door housed in an old slab hut in Morpeth or at Boydell’s rustic restaurant next door, where the full complement of wines can be added to your order.

Gaze out over the smooth folds of the Brokenback Mountain Ranges to really feel the synergy of the place which sits on rich parcel of volcanic soil and red clay. Visit the pet-friendly cellar door to taste the terroir in the award-winning chardonnays, Semillon, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. Factor in a wander around the rose garden.

Steven’s passion and enthusiasm for showcasing the Briar Ridge wines is palpable and his playlist (and music knowledge) inspired. The location is also a real draw: you will feel your shoulders soften while looking out over the rolling hills laid out over the landscape like a patchwork quilt.

Wines aside, there are a lot of stories that intertwine with Karin’s heritage and make this lovingly restored property worth a visit. The 52-hectare property is now home to 12 hectares of premium chardonnay vines overlooked by the buttery-hued Yellow Rock Escarpment on the horizon, making Winmark Wines a top spot for a tipple.

Vinden Wines produces traditional Hunter-style wines as well as more experimental minimal-intervention wines under the Headcase and lignée labels. The estate presents like an idyllic Tuscan farmhouse, albeit one run by real-deal Hunter Valley hipsters.

Owner Renee Burton (ex-Gundog Estate and known as Ren to her friends) couldn’t resist branching out in this evocative sandstone building located in Peppers Creek Village. The chic space, which has new navy cabinetry and halo lights, is matched by the bold and beautiful designs splashed across each label. Rene has collaborated with winemaker Scott Comyns (Comyns & Co) to produce the wines on offer in the contemporary cellar door.

Arrive here in the early afternoon when the sun is bursting over the Yellow Rock sandstone escarpment and linger all afternoon in the elegant steel-framed glass atrium, which is so close to the vines of Tinonee Vineyard Estate you could offer to help out during the annual harvest. The cellar door feels like it fell straight out of The Hamptons via Manhattan and as well as producing quaffable drops is a dreamy destination in its own right.

Sit at the bar, linger in the lounge, or book a tutored tasting around a table with friends to sample Comyns & Co’s stellar Hunter Valley wines made from small-batch parcels of locally grown fruit. The Comyns have made their mark since they first opened in 2016 by producing vintages that are set to become increasingly complex.